Khansa Mahum ’19, public relations manager for Anabel’s Grocery, said that the Anabel’s staff had hoped to open on the first day of classes, but had to postpone opening by a week to repair some structural damages found in Anabel Taylor Hall.

“There was flooding due to pipes that had burst throughout Anabel Taylor Hall over winter break, and there were damages done to the ceiling and some store product,” said Mahum.

Leaderboard 1

However, she confirmed that the grocery was “fully repaired” and ready to reopen Wednesday.

Cornell paid for the repairs as the building is university property, according to Devon Rosen ’19, programming team member.

“Multiple rooms in Anabel Taylor Hall were damaged,” Rosen said. “However, the store was easily cleaned up, and the University was able to retile the ceiling.”

Leaderboard 2

After years of planning and preparation, Anabel’s Grocery opened its doors at Anabel Taylor Hall in May 2017. The store was created with the goal of addressing food insecurity in the Cornell community by giving students access to healthy and affordable food.

Anabel’s also provides food education and literacy, with access to healthy eating tips and recipes.

This semester, the grocery is launching a no-cost ‘Shopper’s Club,’ which any student can register for online. The club will provide members with access to free cooking classes, promotions and giveaways, according to the Anabel’s Grocery website.

Additionally, students can fill out a web survey to determine if they qualify as “food insecure.” If they do, they will receive a ten percent food subsidy, which will be discounted from their entire in-store purchase.

The staff of Anabel’s is eager to reopen this week to put these programs into place.

“Thanks to the efforts of the Cornell maintenance staff, we made a speedy recovery,” Mahum said.

To the Editor:
I am a first-generation, low-income, Agricultural Sciences student, and I am concerned about the outcome of Anabel’s Grocery. I am not against the idea of a student-run grocery store, nor am I against solving the pervasive food insecurity problem.